RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes

Gray · **01-03-2016, 11:06 PM**

I can't speak for curent times, but I sorta stopped trying to rp randomly a few years back because of this, and other stuff.Â I've personally found public gatherings of rpers to be terrible terrible spots for rp for a few reasons.Â What I've done is stop trying completely.Â Instead, I look for specific environments/rpers that I feel would have better results.Â I really can't rp anymore unless I find an in along those lines.Â Even people who claim "walkups welcome", I don't approach.Â You might want to think about taking a similar approach.Â From my experience, this probably won't help you actually find rp, but it'll cut down the disappointment factor immensely.

And just because we're on the subject, I have "walkups/spontaneous welcome" in my info.Â The last time I I got a bite, which was 4 or 5 months ago, we ended up rping for a couple of hours.

Lydia Lightfoot · **01-03-2016, 11:31 PM**

My two cents:

If you're in a non-social RP, then you can know for certain that everyone involved is on board (or not) with a player taking their time with a lengthy and detailed response.

If you're in a social location where walk-up random RP is likely to occur, then you need to be ready to be reactive. That means either shorten your initial post to the newcomer so that they know ASAP that they've been acknowledged and more's coming, such as...

Calliope Cloverbloom smiles at the newcomer. "Hello there!"

...or, if you just can't bear to ever write a short post even if you're in a location where it's simply more effective to do so, then before you start on your long post, do the newcomer a favor and give them a head's up...

Calliope Cloverbloom ((hey there! i type a bit slowly and can be a little wordy, so give me a sec to post to you))

...because if you send that before you even start your RP post, there's no need to cut and paste, and everything is crystal clear to the person who has walked up.

Do not blame the walk-up person for walking away too quickly. Someone shouldn't be expected to stand around wondering if you're going to post to them or not, because for every player who does in fact reply after 5, 10, 15, whatever minutes, there'll be half a dozen who are AFK, or tabbed out reading something, and so on, who simply will never send them a message, which results in the newcomer... standing there for a chunk of their evening, which may be a limited amount of free time to them. That's not fair to them and frankly it's rude to expect it of someone.

It's up to the veterans to show courtesy to newcomers if they want to RP community to grow and remain vibrant. Lack of courtesy to newcomers is what begins the decline of a community, because if the newcomers feel unwelcome or unwanted they'll continue on to some other game. Veterans will inevitably take breaks or move on too, and without newcomers to keep things moving, stagnation occurs in a hurry (which snowballs into more veterans leaving).

Kellach Woods · **01-03-2016, 11:43 PM**

I had a walk-up welcome search info, a post in making connections, a bunch of LSes and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.

Seye Qhesu · **01-04-2016, 12:17 AM**

I feel bad as while I don't think I think I am one of the people on the list I do want to say I have been known to stand in the Quicksands afk without my afk tag on (I turn it off to screw with friends when I go to bed...don't hate).

But there are times I do stand around and am just tabbed watching a video. I normally ask people to whisper me to get my attention though or if I notice they had said something to me I rush after them to RP. I do however try not to respond to RP whispers since most of the ones that come my way as a female in the Sands ends up being ones I don't want.

-----------
I do suggest though that if you try to look for RP in the Quicksands and you feel ignored that you try and tag someone in an RP LS or anything like that. The Grindstone as stated is a huge event and there is ALOT of scrollage. I have trouble trying to even keep up with the fights to call.

Cato · **01-04-2016, 02:36 AM**

I, too, struggled to find role-play after first making the leap over to FFXIV from WoW. There was a bit of a culture shock to deal with and on top of that I found myself not particularly fond by the idea of attending large events simply because the amount of chat scrolling alone is a major obstacle.

I also wasn't eager to head towards the infamous Quicksand. Not only because in many ways it is this game's version of Goldshire (though there are shining gems to be found amongst the muck) but because it didn't really make sense for my character to go there.

So I approached people who intrigued me on this site by sending them a PM and asking if they'd like to meet up. It worked in some cases and didn't work in others - but overall I'd say such an approach proved to be a success.

So my advice? Keep an eye out for posters who say stuff that you agree with or seem to drift towards a role-play style that suits you. It's the best way to forge meaningful connections in my opinion - especially since random role-play can be very hit and miss.

Melkire · **01-04-2016, 08:43 AM**

(01-04-2016, 02:36 AM)Graeham Wrote: So I approached people who intrigued me on this site by sending them a PM and asking if they'd like to meet up. It worked in some cases and didn't work in others - but overall I'd say such an approach proved to be a success.

So my advice? Keep an eye out for posters who say stuff that you agree with or seem to drift towards a role-play style that suits you. It's the best way to forge meaningful connections in my opinion - especially since random role-play can be very hit and miss.

I'd like to second this approach. It works for many of us who are not particularly fond of walk-up roleplay, tavern roleplay, slice-of-life roleplay, and/or random encounter roleplay. Often times, the approach we'd prefer doesn't work as well for us as individuals as other approaches that we're disinclined to pursue. Case in point, I'd LOVE more random and/or walk-up RP, but what little of it I actually get rarely ends up worth my time or theirs (meaning that it rarely develops into and results in further interactions).

This is not a condemnation of any of the above types/styles of roleplay, merely an observation that many I've personally encountered and/or roleplayed with happen to struggle with the above.

Momoka · **01-04-2016, 09:57 AM**

Ive made some of my best friends in this game by randomly asking for RP in a Linkshell Im in, and recently made another friend by merely asking if he wanted to rp, mentioning that Id seen him around the RPC and he intrigued me. Got a lot of cool stuff to do with my character through him, actually. Just keep trying, and Id suggest finding an RP Linkshell or FC to join. Ive been with Mythril Wings for six months now, and theres almost always someone willing to hang outÂ Cool

. Just gotta find your niche!

Ilwe'ran · **01-04-2016, 03:10 PM**

5mn is too short. Way too short. If you think it's long, if it displeases you to wait and if you find it "bogus" that people cannot answer under the time you think as being normal ? Prepare to be utterly disappointed. Many, many RPer need more than 5mn to write an answer. Even more when they are surprised by some walk ups : It's easier to prepare a message when you're the one reaching to the others than being the one adapting to that new person who reaches out to you.
RPer are all different. Reading the search info will not tell you if the RPer in front of you is in the mood to RP or not, if they are AFK or not, if they write long sentences or not, if they are slow or fast, if they are english native or not (because yes, Balmung is an international server and a non native speaker might also be slower) etc. You cannot know anything of that just out of some "Walk ups welcome" announce on the search info and I don't know that many people who edit their search info every single time they are or aren't in the mood to RP.

If you want to find some RP and to walk up to someone, you might want to lower a little your expectations in the first place, then try those things :
- PM the person before engaging anything, usually people are quick to answer to an OOC question while they are slow to answer to some sudden IC post. Offer them to RP, thus you won't have the feeling to waste your time. Plus you can totally go ahead and just do something else such as checking the MB or your retainer while the person answer.. Or not.
- Make sure you're not in a place where the chat scrolls fast. Because it's extremely complicated to follow what happens in a place such as the Quicksands or during an event. If you want to RP there and both you and your RP partner agreed on RPing in such place ? RP in party. And that might be another reason why some people didn't answer to you in some crowded places such as the Quicksand and the Grindstone : Some don't post in say channel, but in party to be able to focus on what their RP partner is saying and thus easily miss some stuff which are said aside.
- Try to go in some events, join a LS, post a thingy in the making connection topic, schedule some rp, etc. if walking up upsets you.

But again, while 5mn seems to be long enough to answer for you, it's fairly possible that it's too short for many of the RPer out there. Yes it's surprising and it surprised me as well, but it's the case Smile

!

@Franz : I do myself some super long answer at time, but I post the pieces one after another using the > symbol at the end of one of the part to announce that something will come next (which Â also allow my partners to react if relevant ^^), so I post a little paragraph each 5mn Big Grin

.

**Unnamed Mercenary** · **01-04-2016, 03:35 PM**

(01-04-2016, 03:10 PM)Ilwe Wrote: @Franz : I do myself some super long answer at time, but I post the pieces one after another using the > symbol at the end of one of the part to announce that something will come next (which Â also allow my partners to react if relevant ^^), so I post a little paragraph each 5mn .

I do stuff like that too, when it happens! (In general, my posts aren't long, but I take a long time to write sometimes. Native speaker failure.)

--

What I mean is that if I were in the middle of typing out a sentence or a post,
*immediately stops everything to reply to something else* it breaks up the thought at that's kinda jarring. I tend to separate my tells and party chat into their own tab so I can keep track of them. But I don't like the idea of cutting my post (which is already short a lot of the time) into multiple, disjointed posts for a "I saw your /tell and will get back to reading it when I can" message, if I can simply finish writing and then actually make a response.

My average post in RP is maybe 2 lines on my chatbar, compared to about the 5 is can be if maxed out. Short of a screenshot to illustrate the point. But this isn't trying to blame a newcomer, but if I've spent the last 5, maybe 10 minutes on a post trying to get -something- out, I -really- want to get it written so I can handle everything else. And I think there's likely a group of people who feel the same way.

Ha'uruh Nunh · **01-04-2016, 04:42 PM**

One of my dearest RP friends is a 10 minute replier. Gets rough sometimes, but that's what alt+tab is for.

You have a very defensive and slightly antagonistic tone here that is probably the result of your frustrations with finding RP. I get it. But a dollop of patience will make any of the above strategies more effective.

Me, I rely heavily on my RP FC, my LSes, and RP events for RP.

Aya · **01-04-2016, 04:55 PM**

(01-04-2016, 02:36 AM)Graeham Wrote: I also wasn't eager to head towards the infamous Quicksand. Not only because in many ways it is this game's version of Goldshire (though there are shining gems to be found amongst the muck) but because it didn't really make sense for my character to go there.

To compare the Quick Sand to Goldshire is horribly misleading. Â Yes, there is that there. Â But its a quiet background matter amidst what is otherwise a mostly pleasant and active RP scene. Â Not liking the place (perfectly understandable) doesn't mean that it should be made to seem worse than it is. Â It is not a Goldshire with shining gems among muck, it is a fun and energetic place with public RP-a-plenty and some undeniable background unsavoriness that is, fortunately, not difficult too ignore. Â

The QS should not be "infamous" in any sense of the word.

For the OP: Finding RP, like making friends, is challenging. Sometimes its just circumstantial. Â All you can do is keep trying. Â There is more RP going on around here than in any other game or environment I have ever seen before, and while that really doesn't make it any easier to tap into, it does give reason for hope that persistence can pay off.

I would not advise large events as a good place to meet people (though I have met quite a few people at social events, such as balls). Â Just continue to keep you eye out for public RP like you have been, and maybe try to find some LSes that might lead you that way.

Roen · **01-04-2016, 05:17 PM**

I am going to third the approach of finding like minded people here on the RPC and sending them a PM. It is how I have made many of the RP friends that I have now. My experience has been mostly positive so far!

As for walk ups, the results are very variable from one person to another and also from one occasion to another. The prospect of something spontaneous giving rise to something enjoyable is always exciting! But like going to a bar to meet that special person, most of the times you will be disappointed. But it might happen someday.

My experience from hanging out in the Quicksand has been mostly positive. I got to meet Natalie, Aya, eventually Kage. It was totally random and based on luck. I also met plenty of people that I don't ever run into anymore. >_> Meeting at large events? Also very luck based. But Roen met one of her closest friends through the early days at the Grindstone.

So I can't say don't do random walk ups, but know that the yield can be low and the experience can be frustrating at times. I would say just walk it off and keep trying, and be ready to be really patient, if you want to keep chasing that spontaneity (which I totally get!). If you want to increase the chance that you will find someone steady to RP with or weave a story together, another way to approach it is to do some research, read profiles, wikis, story posts, OOC posts, then poke that person in some form or another (/tell or PM or what have you) and see where things go.

Momo · **01-05-2016, 03:08 PM**

Don't do walk-ups, you will see many people here don't do them, or will attest to them being not the best idea for RPers, at least at random in random locations. Â Do walk-ups at an event, like a bar meet, something not too crowded but not too sparse, they happen frequently, almost every night of the week, and are great for meeting new people and doing random RP. Â I usually call that BaRP, because while it is walk up, there is a predetermined setting of RP happening. Â You can meet all levels of RPers, all levels of lore-precise or otherwise, all levels of class (rich to poor), and of course it involves a bar, so lots of social life and drinking.

Quicksand in my opinion, is not a good place for RP unless you schedule it, or someone is running an event there. Â That is because, not only is the QS a main spot for RPers, it is also a main spot for trolls and regular players who do not RP, or even target RPers. Â Always always send a tell first to ask about RP before randomly starting some, that way you know to wait for a post to be made or if the person is present and ready to RP right off the bat. Â This isn't something being said here much, but in person having talked to people who do "Walk-ups", this has been the main thing said to avoid confusion.

Lastly, rather than Walk-ups at all, if you don't insist on being a "Free RPer" with no affiliated FC or what have you, then I suggest you find one. Â Find an FC with people that fit you, or even find a good RPLS that is active and have RPers who RP with each other frequently. Â These are the best and most steady methods of finding RP, just by saying, "Hey anyone wanna RP?", you can get RP almost any day and any time. Â If you don't want to do that, then I suggest the above, goto events that happen all the time, meet new people, you may find a group that you can RP with frequently that way as well, and to be honest, in the end, you should be looking for a group anyhow, just because meeting new people everyday of the week isn't going to help you progress your story much whether you progress your character activity or not. Â Steady companions to RP with is the name of the game, when it comes to story progression, and finding that perfect speed and setting.

Good Luck

(Also people here are really touchy, as it is a group of RPers, so try to be slightly less generous with the truth or how you genuinely feel, as if it is angry or frustrated, most won't respond well to that, dramadramadrama!)

FreelanceWizard · **01-05-2016, 07:20 PM**

(01-05-2016, 03:08 PM)Momo Wrote: Lastly, rather than Walk-ups at all, if you don't insist on being a "Free RPer" with no affiliated FC or what have you, then I suggest you find one. Â Find an FC with people that fit you, or even find a good RPLS that is active and have RPers who RP with each other frequently. Â These are the best and most steady methods of finding RP, just by saying, "Hey anyone wanna RP?", you can get RP almost any day and any time.

Very much this.

Also, having access to one or more IC LSes can be a godsend for getting RP going. Admittedly, most IC LSes are restricted to particular RP groups, but it's certainly possible to get access to one without formally joining a group if you get the right RP rolling. For example, we have several people with access to Mysterium's IC LS who aren't members of the group IC, just because they've made friends with the membership.

Another thing I'd add to this is that, even if you don't join a particular group, having connections with a group can be quite helpful. Many groups will let non-members join their OOC LS to help arrange RP. If you find a group you might be interested in RPing with, but you're not sure you want to join, all it takes is a quick ask to see if they might be willing to bring you into their OOC LS (assuming they have one).

I will say, though, that LSes are in many ways like FCs: you get out what you put into them. You have to be willing to step in, say hi, strike up conversations, and so on in order for them to do you any good.

Kellach Woods · **01-05-2016, 09:21 PM**

At best I'd say if you want to walk up, don't walk up to someone who isn't reacting to anything. If they're not active, assume they're AFK.

« Next Oldest \| Next Newest »
Pages (3): « Previous 1 2 3 Next »

My Fear (Unable to find any RP)

RPC has moved! These pages have been kept for historical purposes